Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Classified: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1475

Episode Date: April 23, 2024

In this 1475th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Classified a.k.a. Luke Boyd about the origin of his hip-hop career, his rap influences, his musical career, staying in the Maritimes and Luke's View. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, The Advantaged Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada, The Yes, We Are Open podcast from Moneris, The Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Team and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

Welcome to episode 1475 of Toronto Mic'd, proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, a fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta, enjoy the taste of fresh homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. The Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team. The best baseball in the city outside the dome. Join the club and purchase a membership today at Mapleleafsbaseball.com. Recyclemyelectronics.ca

Committing to our planet's future, means properly recycling our electronics of the past. The Advantage Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada, valuable perspective for Canadian investors who want to remain knowledgeable, informed, and focused on long-term success. Season 6 of Yes We Are Open, an award-winning Menaris podcast hosted by FOTM Al Greggo and Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today making his Toronto Mike debut is Classified,

AKA Luke Boyd. Should I call you Luke or Classified? What would you like? Whatever, whatever, doesn't make a difference. So I'm gonna call you Luke or Classified? What would you like? Well, whatever, whatever's doesn't make a difference. So I'm going to call you Classified, okay? There you go. Or Class for short. Class, okay.

Save yourself some time. You remember Jim Class? Heroes? This is no, not Jim Class Heroes. Jim Class was a song by Kish on Order from Chaos. Kish? Do you remember? Oh, go way back.

Did you ever listen to Order from Chaos? I remember like Rhyme the World in 80 Days, like the big ones. Yeah, but big ones. Same album. Same album. Okay. Yeah. I didn't know that song though. Who was the intro there that you just played? Well, that's Illvibe. So Illie. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Years ago, I met him just through doing shows back in the day and then he was doing some lyric videos. I think the last time I talked to him. He's still doing lyrics. Yeah. This is his like life now is he's going high with that. Yeah. What is this company called? Do you remember? Lyricvids.ca or something like that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. still doing that. Yeah. This is his life now. He's going hard with that. Yeah, what is this company called? Do you remember? Lyricvids.ca or something like that. Yeah, yeah. But he's been going hard with that for a while. He's been going hard on that. So this podcast you're on right now, Class.

Class, class, whatever I call you, you're gonna answer, okay? That's true. Luke, that's the rule around here. You can tell me Donald if you want. That's my real name. That's the one name I won't call you, okay? No, no.

Is that your real name? That's my real name. So Donald Luke Boyd My grandfather's name was Donald. They all wanted me my mom to name me Donald She did it, but she hated the name So she said well your middle name's Luke and that's what we'll call you see Donald I'm not sure I love the name Donald But I think Donnie's a cool name or dawn is not a bad name like dawn So you know, so when so many places Where was I going there ill vibe real quick to wrap that up is that?

I'm gonna say 12 years ago when I was producing a podcast for humble and Fred I had the idea that I could do this like I'll leave my comfort zone I never talked into a microphone before I'll leave my comfort zone. I'll buy some gear I'll do this and see what happens because I wanted to get see if I can trick people like classified Into coming into my basement and talking with me for 90 minutes I the best example of this is yesterday when Ben Johnson dropped by and sat exactly where you are and we chatted for a hundred Minutes, okay, like how do I get there? Oh, I know for 12 years I'll build some trust and get this going so I'll get a podcast going in 2012. And my good friend,

my kick worked with a guy who wrapped as ill vibe and did some production work on the side. And Mike introduces me to Ily and Ily creates that opening theme you heard right there. And that was 12 years ago. Okay. So it's been the same intro for 12 years. Yeah.

Cool. Same intro for 12 years. I ref I refused to change it. But why would you, it's been the same intro for 12 years. Yeah. Cool. Same intro for 12 years. I ref I refused to change it, but. So we went from Kish to Illy and now we got classified here. How long are you in Toronto for? About 26 hours. Do I get the itinerary? There are other people in the room, including your wife and another gentleman's going to join us, but like,

can you give me a taste of what what will these 26 hours be like for you I guess there's a little sleep in there but like give me a sense of I got a little sleep in the plane that ride here so you know first thing we did jumped off the plane came right here to see where you come from came from Enfield Nova Scotia and where is that if I know where Halifax is where's Enfield if you get in if you get off the plane and go off the exit left to Halifax you go right to Enfield it's the next exit it's like five minutes from the airport okay wow okay so the GHA greater Halifax area okay so our flight was at what 730 and I think we left our host at 635 and now

it's 10 a.m. 10 o'clock a.m. Toronto time. So you just you literally came from a YYZ. You came straight from the airport here. Yeah. OK, so we're going to have a chat for it. As I told you, this will be six hours. So after the six hour conversation, like, give me an idea like you do media hits, you're promoting press promote the whole album. So after this, we're going to talk after this. We're going to serious satellite or sorry after that serious satellite radio

Then we're heading out to Z 103 Radio station feel like that's in this neighborhood. Is that on done? Now I hear from Liam who's in the room so hello to Liam I'm just gonna he's not on a my name's my manager and then my wife in them is in the back here And that's Kim nobody else wants to be on camera. Okay, so only only Classified gets on on camera. So Liam Jim and how long have you been working with Liam probably three four years now okay and Liam how's it going is he a good guy to work with he's the best what are you gonna say right he's right there you beat you up okay so you came straight from Nova Scotia here you are

you got some stuff going on with Sirius XM. You got E-talk. Pardon my ignorance. E-talk, like where is E-talk? You have any idea? You just- Like the building? It's, I'm guessing. Much Music, 299 Queen.

Yeah, the old Much Music building. So it's a Bell Media, a Bell Media production. So it'll be at 299. Do you remember your first visit to 299 Queen Street West? Would have been, what was the first much music video awards we went to? I think that would have been the first like real time. We might have stopped by for a little interview but yeah I feel like the much music video awards but would have been one of the big... Any memory of what year that would have been?

Early 2000s? I'm guessing two that well I won for no mistakes that was 2006. I love no mistakes. 2006, 2007 thank I love no mistakes 2006 2007. Thank you Okay, I was the first video first. That's the first award you get by the way I I learned from Tyler Campbell in a recent episode We call it FOTM cast where it's like we talk about everything going on in the TMU Which is the Toronto Mike universe I learned that I I often ask a question. Where's your Juno? So you have won a Juno award, right? Where is it? It's sitting... it's on the TV stand. Above the TV stand. It gets moved a lot when we're shooting

content. So it's on the bookshelf right in the living room by a couple of them MMVAs. Got a couple of those, so that's got a little area for it. Do you remember which VJ conducted your first interview at 299 Queen Street? It could have been, uh, you don't, you don't know off hand. Like I feel like that should be something. I don't. Well, actually, no, I do remember Mike Campbell. It would have been much East going coastal like that era. By the way, Mike Campbell is an FOTOTM which means friend of Toronto Mike, which you are as well. I had Mike Campbell and I love that guy. I was at the premiere for there was a there's a documentary called 299 Queen Street and they had the premiere at Roy Thompson Hall and I was I met Mike Campbell there.

Real cool guy. That wasn't that long ago. No it was like last summer. Last September I'm gonna say. Yeah, not that long ago. But yeah, I met Mike Campbell there, a cool cat. Yeah, so he would have been my first one. And that was when they had the Much East show. So it was 12 o'clock Sunday night, middle of the night. That was my first interview. A lot of Sloan on that show. Yeah, a lot of Sloan, Thrasher Mott.

Joel Plaskett. Yep. All that work. I love this so much. Jail? Jail, yeah, yeah. Who else? Sandbox. Oh, and shout out to Tra? Jail, yeah, yeah. Well, sandbox. Oh, and shout out to Trailer Park boys.

Exactly, yeah. Yeah, a lot of East Coast. The Halifax scene in those days, especially for like the alternative rock scene was, it was killing. It was a different level. And when does Sarah McLaughlin go out West? Like, I feel like she was Halifax

and then she became Vancouver, but. I think when we found out about her, she wasn't in Halifax anymore. It was kind of like, oh when we found out about her, she wasn't in Halifax anymore. It was kind of like, oh, she, we used to have her, but. And how do you feel? I'm curious about this because you stayed in Nova Scotia. We're going to cover a lot of ground. We're still building a rapport here, but how do you feel about the fact

Sloan all live here now, at least three of the four live in Toronto. A lot of disappointment. No, you don't mean it's just people's lives. You can't, you know, a lot of my friends, people who did music moved up to Toronto, you know, trying to chase the big dream and whatever it is. But, you know, it was just my decision. I was never like, Oh, I got to go chase this thing. You know, music to me was never, I never thought it was going to turn into a full time thing. It was something I love doing on the side, but Well, here, let's do that then. Okay. So we've learned you came from Nova Scotia. You're, you're, you're, you're, you're born in Enfield. Yep.

Okay. I love it. That you know, you're, you're here in Toronto, you're doing some media in Toronto, you got a new album release. What's the name of the new album? Luke's view. Luke's view. Uh, is that title at all inspired by, uh, Drake's views?

Uh, any, any correlation? No, no, forgot. He even had no, I'm not actually, not that you say, wasn't that just called the views. It was views. It was called views and he's sitting on the CN tower. Yeah on the cover as I and I believe here's a fun fact for you and I'll sprinkle them throughout because I like to do this but I believe David Cronenberg excellent Canadian director I believe his daughter took that photo of Drake's. Was it real? Well, no, of course not. I thought it was just like, but like she took the photo of Drake and then put that together.

Of course. Oh yeah. It's not to scale like, like, I thought maybe they had like bungees on his back and let him hang there and took the picture. He'd be too small. I think. Okay. If you, if you put that there. So I'm going begin with your name and then we're gonna find out when you became interested in creating music and then I'm gonna play a very early like single from you and we're gonna kind of learn about your influences. I have a lot of questions and you know, I mentioned the Sloan guys now live here. Well, one of Canada's greatest rappers moved to the maritime. So we'll talk about that. Like we did a trade maybe. Like we took Sloan and then whenever, and this is a gentleman who's not only an FOTM, but has collaborated with you in the past. And we'll talk about him later. But where does the name Classified come from?

It's an awful story. I wish I had a good story every time someone asks this. Well, make it interesting, please. I'll try. Entertain me. Check it out. 15 years old, recording my first demo on a four track cassette at CKU you and in a Dalhousie University

It was the radio there. Hey my little raps wrote was trying to find a cool rap name nowadays I just go with my real name because I don't feel like you need rap names in those days you did I was going Through the newspaper saw classified thought okay class of my own class and session cool I'll use that for now and just never went back. So that was that's my big story. It's a good story. You know, you can have some confidence in these stories. No, I feel like the bravado should have been some more substance and purpose to the name. It was just it was handy. Do you remember the artist? Custom. I'm sorry. What is his name? Custom. There's a gentleman from Calgary named Dwayne LeVault. He's actually no longer with us. So So shut out to Ridley funeral home. We lost Dwayne far too early, but Dwayne Lavold

He was in an airport in Canada, of course And it's bilingual and the word custom in French is something like duans or something, but it looks like Dwayne Oh, yeah, friends would say oh look, it's custom. It's custom and then that just became his handle and he had a better story That's why you're telling that story. You know was it Kramer who? Sold his stories to Peterman am I getting that right? Yes. I'm getting a nod over here from Liam So I you know, I'll see he's no longer with us Dwayne. I feel like you can take that story Do you want that story? Well, it's not gonna work the same but If Luke made classified in French or something, maybe I could bore it.

So now you're going more by Luke. And it's interesting because nowadays, like SEO is everything for an artist. Right. And you are a difficult person to Google. Right. Because it's tough to Google. Oh, you type classified rapper, you'll get it. If you just type classified. Yeah, you're not gonna find anything. It's funny. So I'm gonna because I like just tell people what's going on here. So Liam and Kim, yeah, you're not going to find anything. It's funny, so I'm going to, cause I like just to tell people what's going on here. So Liam and Kim, I think they're going over a cigarette. Well maybe they're going over a cig. Does Kim smoke? No, I don't think neither one of them smoke cigarettes. I was just calling them out.

19 years last week. Congratulations. That's amazing. You're a young man to be married 19 years. Yeah. 46. So we got married. Yeah. Well, that's 27. So I'm

gonna do again we're gonna get in here I got lots of music I'm really excited to have you here I'll tell you why in a moment but I'm gonna just direct Matthew so your name is Matthew right Matthew Matthew Matthew okay there's a seat for you right there. What's up bud? Watch your heads it'll slow down. Watch your head I already hit it once. Yeah that's the Beastie Boys check your head. Get in there and stick on the cans. Yeah so get Jam in there and we'll get back to you Luke. This is how we're rolling here in the TMDS basement today. We're gonna just settle. So there are four of you now down here. Yes sir. Okay so I'm gonna open up

the mic because I'm just gonna say hi real quickly. Matthew can you hear me? Okay so get in front of that mic because you're to the side of it. Get that mic in front of your mouth there and just say hello. Hey, hey, hey. So how are you? Good, you? Good. I had the open mic for you. I just wanted to say hi. You're kind of the reason this is happening, right? So you're the reason that Luke, who I'm gonna call classified is on Toronto mic making his Toronto mic debut. I tracked you down It had to happen. So are you a listener of Toronto mic'd? Absolutely

Okay, I'll do it either a Hamilton shout out because I thoroughly enjoyed that one I ever we just I just had Scott Turner here last week and Luke don't worry It's getting right back to you in a second. Scott was here. This is good for me. So Scott Turner was here last week and he just retired from radio and we were talking about the fact that Iver Hamilton tried to get the Pixies played on CFNY in 1989 and Danny Kingsbury, who was the program director at the time, wouldn't play Pixies and this was like, so we're in 2024 and this heated debate was taking place now.

So Iver still kind of peeved about it because he thinks it's a black mark on the history of CFY. Danny's like move on, right? It's like, you know, Pixies were not, they were an up and coming alt rock band at the time. So, you know, D do little had just been released, but fascinating to kind of tie these pieces together. Yeah. And I just picked up maybe two Christmases ago, vinyl,

do little pixies from my, one of my kids. So there you go. Okay. So, uh, it's forever 1989 in our lives. And I love that. Okay. So, Matthew, I'm going to turn my attention to classify, but just, you know, your mic is open. So if if you did you want to prompt if you had a question for class or anything? You want to can help me with an answer you chime in but So you have I'm just saying you have carte blanche to speak into that microphone if you have something to to add there Perfect. So classified tell me about you're in the Maritimes. It's not it wasn't no one I don't think as a hotbed for hip-hop like I just want to understand your origin story like who your influences what made you want to rap and

Then I'll play a song from 2000 that I think might have been the first the first single. Okay um like I just grew up on a lot of You know early 90s hip-hop slowly got into it. My dad was always in a band. So we always had Equipment around he was the guy in a band, so we always had equipment around. He was the guy in the band that always had the speakers and the mic, so it was always set up in the basement. So when I was like 13, 14, me and my brothers

kind of started freestyling, messing around like that and kind of got the bug right there. Then when I moved into Halifax, that's when I kind of got on the scene. And like you said, the Maritimes isn't known for a lot of hip hop outside of the Maritimes, but in that Halifax area it was a very you know energetic scene lots of things going on with Stinkin' Rich who became Buck 65 Hip Club Groove who Corey from Trailer Park Boys, Derek who went in to join Len

you know so that's who I was kind of running around with trying to get on shows with them you know I remember going to a freestyle with them guys and kind of got that bug in my ear I remember they made 800 bucks for a show and it blew my mind I was always at the marquee was called the bird laying back in the day and you know I was just kind of following these guys around and learning and slowly just got that bug and kept pushing from there You mentioned Len. I actually was watching the Leaf game last night and there's a they've licensed steal my sunshine Song pops up campaign, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's I find every third movie. I watched that song pops up What a song though. Yeah. Yeah, no, it's that stood the test of time and it still feels good

He kicks in you're like, okay this still feels right still feels right now this ad what they licensed the song But they changed the words one of those things where they I don't know what they were selling I can't remember anymore but I'm like oh it was like re-sung or whatever yeah someone else re-recorded with new lyrics but it was definitely steal my sunshine yeah I'm like oh there's Len still going yeah and then the last name of the the brother sister and Len is Costanza yeah yeah Mark and I can't remember the girl's name though. Sharon. And it all comes back to Seinfeld is what I'm telling you here. So when you're licensing that story from Custom's family. Okay. So I'm gonna, when you said you're into 90s hip hop and it inspired you and your brothers and everything,

I need you to shout out some names. Like I was also big time into hip hop in the early 90s. You can sit here for all day. Well I got time. We can go to the Das Effects, Dr. Dre, Redman. So, yeah, so far I'm with you. I had, I love Das effects. They got effects.

I loved that rhyming style too. So I had that. Diggity wiggity? Yeah, and I had that Fushnickens. Yeah, yeah. I thought it was like a cooler, edgier version of the Fushnickens. But, you know what's funny? But, Chifu, when he came out with the whole da-da- that did it that doing all the the cartoon noises that blew my mind it was a darker edgier

version of fushikins it was it was in the sewer it was a sewer version yeah like yeah but but I but both I used to bump both CDs all the time I love that style yeah that that air of so you know you're from there to EPMD the red vans the gangsters never personal man I love that Joe everything you, I mean like I wasn't West Coast or East Coast I was listening to everything took me a minute to get into the South. I think Oh cast kind of opened me up to that Well, it was a famous line at the hip-hop awards or whatever like that. The South is will come so it's got something to say That's it. So it's got something to say. Yeah, so, you know, I was listening to everything It was never East Coast West Coast, whatever

But yeah, just anything that came out every Tuesday, because there'd only be a couple albums coming out these days, you could literally stay up on everything and, you know, fall in love with the ones you really liked. Right. Like in Brian Wilson, you got to go to late night record shop and, yeah, pick up your discs back then. But I'm going to play a song because it's going to help jog your memory. And we're going to talk about the music and we're going to get to the new music too. And just so Matthew knows and everybody else in the room, I am well aware of the hard out

and I promise we will not go too long on this thing. But let's listen to some, this is super early. So listen, I'm going to be curious about it. I'm curious what you're about to play. And just for Liam and Kim, you won't hear this. So just, you've probably heard it before. Here we go. There's like the intro of Unpredictable.

Would you say I think this is the intro off my Unpredictable, which I haven't heard in 23 years. Perfect. And you're going to hear it now. I want to hear this is the intro off my unpredictable, which I haven't heard. Well, perfect. And you're going to hear it now. I'm going to hear this. It's a really fast. Remember right away, but that took me a second. That's the Triton, the core Triton. I used to make all my beats on that. The drums, everything was made on that. I love it. This is sort of what I think of as like pop-up video. I used to love pop-up video. This is what it is.

So you talk, I'll bring it down when you're talking, but anything you want to add. This is my first music video. So unpredictable was the first music video. This is what it is. So you talk, I'll bring it down when you're talking, but anything you want to add. It was my first music video. So Unpredictable was the first music video. I got a video background for $12,000. I remember, blew my mind. I was like, I got $12,000 to shoot a video. That was a lot of money in 2000. Oh, it was still a lot of money now to shoot a video. I don't think I'd spend that on a video now. So, but we shot this video in a in the strip club in Dartmouth Ralph's We didn't shoot it as a strip club. It was just the only club we get for really cheap Is that club still there? No, it's gone. We're losing our strip club. No strip clubs in Nova Scotia anymore. They're gone. No, not at all. No

How can that be so? Don't need strip strip club, I guess not there online more I don't need strip clubs anymore. I guess not. They're online more. I don't know. How can you ignore that? Shit, your rap style expired long ago. Now you're falling off. Puss your people's like Domino. Here we go again.

Classified saying same shit that he did back when. Well, I'm pissed off and ain't getting no better. Seeing we emcees on TV, that's the reason that I'm fed up. Now, who be? I'll be in class. Purple drug pusher. Y'all can tell he's fucked up. My crew used to rap. Just show up to the studio a lot. So what do you think hearing yourself, what's this like, what, probably 25 years ago you put this down? Yeah, 20, yeah, 25 years ago, probably 99.

I think it comes out in 2000. Game mode 2000, I think I reported it in 99. Sure, like I need to hear your thoughts. You're hearing early classified, we're going to run through a bunch of stuff including feels like eight years ago. It doesn't feel like 25 years ago But just I can hear my accent more I can just hear that just kind of Haven't left Nova Scotia yet. Well, let me hear you very Nova Scotia What what did you what did you drive in from the airport to get here? You drove in a? What did you what did you drive in from the airport to get here? You drove in a

Liam just bought a new one. Was that the new one? The Chevy Equinox. Yeah. OK, but what is that? That's not a bus. It's not. It's a SUV. No. How do you think the C.A.R. How do you say that word? Oh, how do they think we say car?

Car. Car for me. Car. So you drove in the car, drove in the car. Okay, whenever I talk to a Maritimer and it's all often, it's like the care. It's like the care. Yeah, see, I don't hear that as much. I hear the boat, the boot, all that. I hear the tour, because you guys love to say tour. I'm going on tour and we say we're going on tour. Fascinating, right? Like, I think we're right though just so you know because I think you guys say tour but when you say tournament you say it like we do. Listen I've been having these arguments with people for years so I'm ready for these ones. I butcher the the easiest of words so you're probably talking to the wrong Torontonian here but yeah this is unpredictable

this is where it all begins so take me back like like is this a this is actually album number five six so what tell me so what happens you're just you're creating albums but not releasing singles and making videos yeah so this would have been my first video because you know just in those days we well my first three albums or cassettes you know is recorded on a four-track you go pay someone to press up a hundred copies make your little photocopy covers and those were the first three and the fourth one was a CD and it's kind of the same thing and and then this album was the first one that I kind of kind of got any national exposure where you know exclaimed it a

review on it much music played the video 28 times. I think it was. I got the so can check that number perfect there. That was my first. Okay. It was like 528 bucks and it was played 28 times worked out to like 22 bucks a play or something, which sounds good to me. I'm not mad at that. I was like, okay, that's why I remember it. I'm like, okay, that sounds good. By the way, do you remember the second song from the album unpredictable? Do you remember? Will never fall Yep, since I heard that no cuz I loaded up the whole out to the short chain He's got the best verse on the song. He passed away a couple years ago from a car accident Newfoundland, but practice main events like with tactics for

From trailer park boys, he's back to the rock files. We were in a group back in the day This is reminds me of my old apartment I used to have a apartment on Canary Street, right across from Long and McQuade. I don't know if you know Halifax that well. And we just had everybody coming in out of that house. I had a room that was just for my studio and I had a roommate, but we just had people coming in left and right. I was making so many beats for other people

back in these days too. Like in these days, it wasn't like you could just have a program and make beats. Like there was only five people that could make beats in the city, you know? So it was, it was a busy time. I love hearing about it like I mean I love going back to the origin and then we'll we'll talk about what's new of course but sure absolutely fascinating I got to tell you though Luke that see I might call you

Luke I might call you classified it'll all answer that very right I so two things one is I come on board the classified train with boycott in the industry. I'm sure there's a lot of us out there like that sort of our jumping on point. And I got to show Greg Fay who played in my slow pitch team. It was hell of a ball player. He's probably still a hell of a ball player, but he managed an HMV here in the, in Toronto. And that means, that means he had a massive CD collection and I used to go to his house and like I had like a hundred at a time I'd go borrow CDs in the early 2000s and I'd rip them to MP3. This was my MP3. It was enormous.

And it's because Greg Fay would lend me all these discs. And he said to me one day, he said, you would love this because I was into that. You knew what my tastes were. It was boycott in the industry. And I definitely I remember taking it home and I absolutely loved it. And I'm just here to tell you. So yesterday I mentioned Ben Johnson was here for for a hundred minutes Ben Johnson for guys my age it's like wow like this is 979 1988 my two oldest kids I got four kids but two are older those two kids were more excited that classified was

busy visiting the basement that I think any other Toronto might guess. Like this was the episode. Where's your kids at? When you bring them? No, one's in Montreal. Well, I'm going to pick her up at the end of the month though, but I will say, so, um, I played a lot of classified for these first two kids and they felt in love. Like just, just absolutely loved. I'm going to play one of the songs off of boycott in the industry in a minute here, but I just felt so good that finally I had a guest,

because I know a lot of big names, but a lot of them are like for the Gen Xers or whatever. But when Classified was coming over, James and Michelle were very, very excited, and they're listening now. So I love you, James. I love you, Michelle. I love you too.

And Classified loves you too, absolutely. So can I I love you too. And classified loves you too. Absolutely. So can I play a song from Boycott on the Industry as we move along? Okay and then we can talk about like how your style changed and you can tell me about all the stuff I missed between Unpredictable, which is you mentioned your fifth album which is wild to me because I that's kind of I thought was the first. And then Fifth Element which is kind of where a lot of us come here And it's the fifth element, never repetitive, highly competitive, crafty and elegant I'm getting busy, I'm getting busy, I'm getting busy, I'm getting busy, I'm getting busy I'm getting real wild, that sounds so wild

Yeah, I got no time to waste, not getting time to embrace Kid is too nice, I ain't falling flat on my face, I figured it out Yeah, I guess I'm cracking a case and I ain't slowing up In fact, I'm detaching a braidsaw Believe me when I say it, I ain't gonna take no Shit from no man, especially from no assholes Classes too much, I flex words like muscle And I ain't a hustler, but I'm living off my hustle Digging in the crates, maneuver the track

Went for rapper who produced, to producer who raps, kid Respect your vibe if you don't respect rhymes We all got a taste, I stood the test of time So yeah, I'll bring down the song in the mix so we can hear more of you class But tell me everything man. You got a guy here. I just want to soak it all in tell me about you know Producing creating boycott in the energy. Tell me everything. This is fifth element one of the great jams on that album Talk to me. Yeah, this was so for those like who know about beat making I got my MPC, which is like, you know the Standard for making beats in New York back in the 90s

I got that on the album before this one which was called trial and error trial and error and that's to me today still the for this one, which was called Trial and Error. Trial and Error. And that's to me today, still the, you know, album number six, but it's kind of the first one that I really could listen to years later and go, ooh, I like this still, the beat sound, right? Like when you're playing some of that unpredictable stuff, the drum sound whacked.

Like it sounds like it's right off the key for it. I was gonna ask you, like, do you hear how far you've come? Oh yeah, yeah, definitely in the production, even just in the vocals, the way I rap, before then it was always, du du du du du du. Now I find I'm more trying to rap like how I talk.

It's just more conversation. Sometimes I'll have those songs with more energy and you pick it up, but I do find the majority of my tracks now are like, I don't try to turn the attitude on as much. I don't know how you explain it, but it's just more chill how I talk. Maybe more authentic.

Yeah. Well, I think that just comes with growth too, of being more comfortable with who I am with the writing and everything that I feel like I can just be like this and not try to turn it into something else. But even listening back to this fifth element, you have a style of like an autobiographical style where it's like, I feel I learned, like I'm saying, I know so much about you just from listening to your lyrics. It's, you're always telling a story.

It's always like a chew to life. And it's Luke's views. You know, that's, that was the whole, that's the whole vibe of the new album. But my music, I feel like it's always been like that. And it was actually, I can remember the point where I started changing writing was when I put out my first cassette in 95, Thomas Quinlan, who used to write for Xclaim, do you know him? I don't know the name, but of course... He used to do all the reviews. I remember he reviewed that album. He's like,

oh, it's really cool, cool beats, but he doesn't rap about it enough. He just raps. And that always stuck in my head of like, okay, I got to write about things. I got to write, you know, what I see, my views, my thoughts, my opinions. And that's why I write so much about my life and what I'm going through because that's just what I know You know, so that's now when I'm writing them, you know, I'll still have those tracks It's like oh, that's a cool metaphor. I'm rhyming these words and that's fun But at the end of the day 80% of the songs are gonna be specifically about something something that helps me get something off my chest Or something I think might help somebody else get something off the chest. That's very therapeutic, right? 100%.

This is cheaper than therapy. Yeah, no. I don't know. I need to see. No, and I noticed that too when the whole pandemic happened and I stopped going to the studio for a few months just because I was like, eh, I'm a gym teacher now for my kids. The kids were all home and just having not that output and not that purpose was tough on me for the first few months of the pandemic.

How many kids do you have? Three. Good for you, man. And where are they right now? Once home sick from school, Kayla, she didn't get up this morning. We're leaving. She's like, I'm sick. So she went back to bed. And then the two, the youngest ones at school and the oldest ones at school. So what ages are we talking about? Talking 15, 13 and 10, all girls. Wow. Okay. Yeah. I kind of match up my, so I do have a 10 year old, so we have a tie there, okay. Very, very, very cool. Here's a small world story for you.

So I mentioned, I love maritimers by the way, love maritimers. Maybe not Brad Marshann, but I love most maritimers, okay. Most. Although he's been kind of quiet, so I don't know. You watching the, you following hockey? I've been watching the Toronto stuff a bit, just cause my family is Toronto forever. So we just hear it no matter what

I'm gonna ask you about your hat in a minute. So just breathe out there But just so you know, I don't watch baseball. No, you're not a baseball fan So when people call me on my Boston hat or my New York That classified is wearing a Boston Red Sox cap and I was is that like, is that just a team the Maritimes? No, no, it's more of a blue hat with a B that goes for Boyd. Oh. I don't watch baseball. You can, when you say it's Boston,

I'm like, oh yeah, I guess so. But yeah, I don't wear it for the teams. I thought, you know, cause I do know, I feel like because of where, you know, Massachusetts is that the Maritimes would be partial to Boston. It is though. Boston is a, yeah, like we had a lot of friends who are Boston fans.

That's, you know, whether it's hockey or baseball. But yeah, I'll wear a Boston hat one day, I'll wear a New York hat the next day, and you know, I'll wear the New York hat because it's where hip hop came from. My whole career, my whole life's been built on that, so. Okay, and clearly you're not a Blue J fan because those are two arch nemesis, of course.

Yeah, I'm not. My man, Danny, who's from here, he gives it to me. And FOTM too. Yup. I love that guy. So he's a huge Blue Jays fan. So he goes hard on me, but I'm like man Yeah, it's not my team Dear hip-hop. Yeah, that was a big fucking jam. That was I remember that in 95 it came out. I remember seeing the video on New Year's Eve and I was like, what is this and That was off the rap essentials P Factory of my head that went and bought that album So I learned so much Canadian hip-hop just from that album. Okay, we're gonna touch on more Canadian hip-hop in a minute

But here's a small world story for you So I know and mention yeah, I'm sucking leaves there Brad Marchand only because he seems like we're just finished game two yesterday leaves one So now we come back to Toronto tied one all so now it's essentially it's a it's a best of best of five now, except we have all my advantage. So let's look, which is great. I'd love to see like I'm not a huge Bay police fan, but I would love to see it happen someday. Well, we're all still alive. Well, let's do it now. I actually have been very high on this team for some reason. And I've been I think we I'm one of the few people here who seems to think we can actually beat the Bruins in this first round and I'm feeling very bullish on it but that first game made

me look like a fool. But now I'm looking a little... You're looking a little smarter now. Looking a little smarter now but I have a lot of Maritimers on the show. Hopefully Marchand stays kind of quiet and then we can we could dispose of them in six games. That's my prediction, Leafaves in six. But I had on recently a gentleman named Keegan Matheson and his friend Gregor Chisholm. And Gregor Chisholm covers the Toronto Blue Jays for the Toronto Star. Oh, that's your-

Boom. Keegan is your cousin's- No, it's Gregor. Oh, Gregor, yeah, yeah. So, is your cousin, is Kim's cousin's husband. Yes, okay, so this is what Greg or tells me Yeah, I wrote it down because I have to follow the movie here Greg or Chisholm's cousin is Or not Brandy Heidi is married to

Your brain that you're you Kim who I'm looking at right now. So that's Heidi's cousin who's his wife Okay, okay, but that's that's a wild little small world story. As soon as you started going through it, I was like, oh, I know where this is going. P.I.? Prince of Rhode Island, yeah. Okay, Gregor's actually taller than you class. How tall are you classified?

Six, four. Yeah. I'm at the shrinking age though. I might be down to six, three now. Well, poor you, okay. No sympathy for me, but Gregor is like, I don't think six, seven or something ridiculous. Is he that big? He's, he's ridiculous. I met him face to face. We can,

we went to a couple of family parties, but he wasn't at the one. You want me to introduce you? Sure. So there I want to get that small world, uh, story out of there. And that was an opportunity before I play another song I quite loved from boycott in the industry. Cause this is really, uh, you're going to be saying something that Gino Vanelli said to me once he said can we get off black cars already because Gino's sitting down here and I couldn't get off black cars I got stuck on it. You're gonna be saying can we get off boycott in the industry?

You do whatever you want. Yeah yeah. Alright can you let's shout out a guy I teased him earlier Maestro Fresh Wes like so tell me about you're a bit you're a bit well actually how old are you? Yeah like so tell me about you're a bit, you're a bit, well actually how old are you? Am I like that? Yeah, 46. Yeah, you're a bit younger than me, so but I know what Maestro Fresh West meant to me back in 1989 and it's like, nah this kid can't be from Canada and we've become good friends and I know you've collaborated with him and then he's the guy we traded for Sloan I guess because he's now living in New in New England. He's a maritime now. Yeah, we lost him somehow. He was a Skirlebroe guy forever. Now he's a maritime.

But can you tell me about the influence of Maestro Fresh West and your professional and personal relationship with the man? When Backbone came out, I did, you know, everyone knew Backbone. But it wasn't like, oh, that's Canadian rap. Like we were just a kid. And yeah, so exactly.

Which one's that? That's the 12 inch for Let Your Backbone Slide that I bought back in 89. But yeah, when this came out I was just like, oh, it's a cool rap song. We'd dance at our school dances, but I didn't know he was a Canadian rapper. It wasn't a big thing. I think it was when, well, not this kid can't be from Canada. We knew it was a Canadian thing. Well, you know, in the lyrics I can, because I learned pretty quickly. He was, I was shocked, but I learned very quickly after let your backbone slide broke

That this kid is from Toronto like this was a mind blow to me, but he does reference it in lyrics Yeah, I wasn't listening to lyrics and then I was trying to do breakdance and stuff in grade 7 And you know I mean it just didn't pay attention to that stuff It took a couple years later that I realized Right was all it was right and then I think it was when Stick to Your Vision came out that I was like, oh, okay, this is a Canadian. I, you know, started focusing more on the music, the culture. And then he called me out of the blue one, maybe in 2003, he heard a song on my mind.

Somehow he got my number. I think it was from Darryl. Do you know what song he heard by any chance? I know. I always miss this story up. It was either that, cause this happened twice with me. Once with Maestro and once was with Red One from the Rascals.

Hey. And it was the Maritimes, but I can't remember which one was for which one. So I'm gonna say it was Maestro. He heard the Maritimes, he just called me and. And we'll get back to Maestro here. Yeah, yeah. Yo, let's take it back to the Maritimes, man.

Can't take a self too serious. I think the songitimes, man. Can't take ourselves too serious. I think the song just kinda, you know, for Red One or Mike or whoever it was, just kinda showed people what's going on in the Maritimes. They both seem to appreciate that. They love that I was coming with them. I've played this for Keegan Matheson before, that's for sure. Great songs, this is the best moment. Still doing this one of his shows once in a while. Right there.

This song is supposed to build itself. I'm the next bar right here. Yeah, it's been a long time. Soon it'll be, we paid two bucks for a liter of gas. I change it every show. I'm like, what's the gas at? We pay a buck 46 for it. People are going nuts here because gas is like, I don't know, a buck 70 something. But I feel like it was only a few years ago that it was over $2. Did we forget?

It went up high for a bit and then came right back down. People are like, oh, I can't believe it's $1.70. I'm like, you can't remember four years ago when it was like $2. Yeah, yeah. Just bike everywhere. Yeah. Do you bike? I love biking.

I got like bicycling. I got a bicycle, but I also have a street chair. My boys like to ride. But me and Kim have actually been talking about getting more into the biking thing. We're all into walking, walking the dogs and all that. But I like biking more. Because you don't need gas to ride a bike. No, and get some good exercise. It's good at this age.

Okay. So now there's two things going on here. One is I've got to get back to Maestro, of course, but you mentioned the Maritimes. I love the Maritimes. I got to say my kids love it too. This is one of their favorites. Love this song. Thank you. Have you been out there? Yeah. One time only. Just one time. But we drove to Prince Edward Island. So I've been to all the maritime provinces and I know Newfoundland is not part of the

maritimes. I always thought about it. When I wrote this song, I thought Newfoundland is part of the maritimes. I was corrected at some point and I actually remembered, oh, it's like Atlantic Canada or something. It's not. Yeah, exactly. But I think I even went on stage in Newfoundland and said, Newfoundland, let's do the maritimes

for us. And then someone came and was like, we're not part of the Newfoundland. We're not part of the Maritimes. Not part of the Maritimes. It's tough to get there. So when I did the road trip with the family to Prince Edward Island, we carved out our two weeks and it was wonderful. And I loved the Maritimes. I'm like, I could see myself living here, but it wasn't winter. So I don't know. It wasn't winter. It's not much different.

No? No, I find when we have the ocean, right? So we're a little bit warmer in the winter, a little bit colder in the summer. Perfect. But you don't get a lot of snow. It depends on the year. Speaking of Canadian, sometimes, you know, sometimes nice play. Sometimes, you know what I mean? We'll have crazy winter. Sometimes like two years ago, I think we had snow like three days. Like I couldn't even skate on the pond. One day this is like, okay. That's all we just had it's over the place here. So we're game back to maestro, but What have you had any encounters with the Darren O'Brien Toronto rapper better known as snow I have I

Tore with I He's I've always got along with him good. I've never had any problems a little quiet a little more quiet I remember we toured actually Newfoundland and we took the ferry. Which is not in the Maritimes. No, not in the Maritimes. We did like a 7-10 day tour with him there that we were opening up for and then I was mixing, actually boycotting the industry. I was mixing that in a studio outside of Toronto and I came up here by myself for like four days and hung out in this abandoned mansion but there was a studio in the basement and this guy named Joe Warlock who used to work with Dr. Dre came up here and was mixing records and

gave me a great deal mixed my record for like three days I slept there and snow showed up one night because I guess he knew Joe and they just hung out we talked for like an hour or so but that's about it for my snow stories. Well I love okay because I've been chatting with his manager a guy named Paul Faberman okay he says him who loves Toronto Mike, just like my friend here, Matthew, a big Toronto Mike fan. And he's, we're talking about getting snow over and he's working on it. And he came up there when I thought about all the snow that I just assumed happened in the Maritimes.

But is he still live in Toronto snow? I believe so because my buddy, Stu Stone, who yeah, I know Stu. So, you know, so when you said who directed no mistakes I was her who's best friends do okay. We need to spend a moment on Stu before we get to my story This is the game. Thank God. We have a little bit of time here, but that's the Jamie Kennedy Stu Stone album Yeah, that came however used to show me this cuz they had that what's the movie they had? they had many movies, but the big it was a They had many movies, but the big it was

With which to get my kids to watch it the other night with Stu. Yeah, Stu was in it I don't think he had a big part, but he was in it Harv direct anyway I can't remember. Yeah, I'll Google it. I remember all this stuff So can you case so before we get to maestro and I'm keeping track everything we're not gonna miss a beat here song with e40 I'm telling you that was a big seller because We recently lost Bob Saget and one of the big songs and that is rolling with Saget And I shot the video hard shot the video but production and beats and rhymes No, but also one of my favorite people in the world to be honest and a fantastic FOTM Derek Christoph aka Decisive so now I need you to talk about Stu, Decisive and Maestro in that point. Yeah, I know Decisive and Stu always had, they always worked together.

Yeah, they collaborated a lot on that song, particularly the rolling with Saget song. Exactly, yeah. But Decisive is just an amazing artist. He's been, I remember when he dropped Popped, which was 2000 and what was that? Well, he had a- I'm trying to remember. He had a bunch of cool stuff. Something with a notepad, but he didn't clear the sample. It got him in a lot of trouble. That was a little bit after.

Okay, that was after. Popped was his first one that came out, and this was before Eminem, and this whole song was about dissing pop stars. Right. And, you know, and then Eminem came out, and then everyone thought Decisive was biting him because it was the same thing, but Decisive was actually out earlier. He's so good, Decisive. He's killing.

Such a good artist. I think he's underappreciated, this guy. He is. He knows what I think about him. But yeah, Decisive and Stu and this whole world that I'm very close to. Stu Stone has been on Toronto mic, I think 90 times. Like, like literally for 76 weeks, he came over once a week during the pandemic to do these shows. We call them Pandemic Fridays. So, but so tell me about Stu,, like like anything you can share about Stu. I don't know the only way I know Stu is the connection through Herb and Decisive because they both talked about him all the time. I don't even know if I've ever met Stu. Really? No the only reason it didn't like I said it's just they always

talk so highly of him. I saw a couple things he was doing the Bob Saget thing that was always a big thing. Right. Um but yeah I don't know him that personally or anything. Well, look, one day when you have more time in Toronto, I'm going to episode 91, I'm going to broker the summit is going to be Stu and classified. We're going to get this done. All right. So now that we've covered decisive love that FOTM and Stu Stone, who's in the FOTM Hall of Fame, like literally, there's an FOTM Hall of Fame. Like literally there's an FOTM Hall of Fame. Stu's doing it. How do you get there? You gotta do at least, how many? You know, it takes time and you gotta go above and beyond and maybe one day if you play your cards right, you'll be in the doctorate. I'll put my application in, I might be able to.

You know, hang in there with Matthew's tutelage here, maybe you'll get there. But Stu's in there. But please talk to me about Maestro Fresh West and collaborating with him and everything you can about Maestro. Yeah, so when he called me and just got hey man, I'm a fan of your song Maritimes, whatever it was I was you know, tried to play cool like oh, yeah, it's cool. You know hung up my job Maestro

Fresh West just called me, you know, like this is the guy and He ended up me and kim were living together. He ended up finding out the helifax During the blackout remember the blackout of 2003 Was that 2003? Yeah. Cause it was the same year as SARS. And I remember the same stuff. Cause he's rapping.

So we did this song called Supreme Authenticity that he's rapping about the blackout and all these things. But he just, he flew into my host one day and slept at a host for three nights. And I produced like three records from them and from there, we just kind of grew up to be good friends.

I talked to him probably once a week now. He's in the Maritimes. You know every time I go to St. John I hook up with him. Saw him on the Juneau weekend and it's just a guy that was... If you pride though that he says I'm uproot, I'm leaving Scarborough for the Maritimes. Like do you have any personal pride there? Like Maestro is now one of us. I just think it's good on him because I know why he's doing it. He was doing it for his son because his son was from out there and he wanted to you know what I mean? He was doing that for his family so I just was from out there and he wanted To you know what I mean? He was doing that for his family

So I just thought as a person as a man as a father that was pretty awesome for him to do and quickly I already claimed him a man was that movie kicking at old school because we have a Tron historian it all Jeremy Hopkins who's on the live stream as it was kicking at old school Okay, so back to my show and you're still you're still chatting with them like almost all time. Yeah. Yeah Amazing amazing and I see him now like like he's doing some CBC gem game show type thing. My show does, he's got a cooking show, he's got that something the tide,

I can't remember what it was called, but he's a host of- Yeah, that's like, I feel like he's on the Bay of Fundy or something. Yeah, that's what it is, exactly it is, yeah, yeah. Which I did on my tour, I walked on the- So it's like a sand castle competition, I think, that's what he's the host or the judge of that or or whatever Wow, but then he's got a radio show down there He's he's opening for TLC next week in Moncton. We're gonna go down to that check that out with him

Yeah, so he my shows busier than anybody and still like the most motivated like I can go to a studio with him I just sent him a beat last week and he'll call me and spit the whole rap and I studio with him. I just sent him a beat last week and he'll call me and spit the whole rap and I love this inside info. Yeah you don't see a lot of artists with that energy and excitement still at 50. I heard it with the word artist so just like the word car I don't know if that was before you got here yeah there's that's the maritime accent and eight like car artists I heard there. Artist, artist. Love it yeah amazing now uh getting that inside info on Maestro quick question about TLC and I know you might not have an answer I'm just thinking out loud here like like when when it's time for Left-eyed I do a verse do we see a video of left eye doing it or

Like they don't have someone else doing it, right? Like, you know when people when people go, you know, cuz waterfalls for example Okay, I want the story but when water for when they're cause waterfalls for example, okay, I want the story. But when water, when they're doing waterfalls, which they're going to do when they go live, one of their biggest hits. Uh, and then you got that, that rap verse from Lisa left eye Lopez, who's no longer with us at the Ridley funeral home. Do we see a video of her? Probably a video at least they'll play the rap or the crowd will wrap it along is what I'm picturing.

Um, you know why I'm picturing that? Cause I saw Kid Rock, uh, shortly after Josie died. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, and when Joe sees verse came on like literally we had video on the screen of Joe C doing his verse Like that's what they did and they had the audio in the track. Yeah. Yeah, so you heard him You heard Joe C and you saw him seem up there. They didn't you know have someone else It's just funny you said waterfalls and left eye cuz Jan Erden I didn't tell you this either hit me up like three days ago. It's like hey, I'm doing a cover of waterfalls and left eye because Jan Erden I didn't tell you this either hit me up like three days ago it's like hey I'm doing a cover of waterfalls and I

really want you to do a rap the rap verse in the rap spot I was just like perfect Jan cool to hear from you send it over let me hear it so I'm just waiting for the email all right and just to bring it back to Stu before I play one more song from Boycott an Industry is that Jan Erden is in Stu directed a movie in Winnipeg recently called Vandits and Jan's in it. She does a lot of acting. Yeah, she does a lot of acting. So Stu's directing and all that.

I didn't know that. He's directing. He's got a brother-in-law named Adam Rodinus and they have a film studio called Five-Seven Films I think they call it. And they're doing a lot of work. Okay. And Stu goes and he talks to wrestlers for that Dark Side of the Ring series. Love that. That's him. I kill that show He's on the road Jason Eisner who's from Dartmouth. He produced and directed the whole thing

So Stu must be like part of his team is like a guy who goes on the road And in fact if you listen to these chats like let's say he's talking I don't know Jake the snake Roberts or something and you hear the voice of the guy conducting the interview and it's Stu Oh, that's the guy. Okay. I didn't know that. Yeah. That's cool. Now I'm there's a new one tonight.

Uh, sensational Sherry. I think it's tonight. Wow. This is my, well, you see, I got, you know, this is George, George animals steel. I seen that in the background gift from Stu stone. Okay. You didn't know this was the Stu stone retrospective when you, uh, I didn't this invitation here. All right.

One more jam here and thanks for sharing the story about maestro cause it's I wasn't sure how close you guys still were but it sounds like you're freaking... No, no, we're super close. Yeah. Okay, let's kick this one out. Now I made many decisions and made many mistakes I got my first much needed video award Many lakes I did good did wrong I got props and pissed on I just bought a system, but I still try to get on No one can tell me that my style was unhealthy I never listen kept spitting till the naysayers felt me looking back I guess you hate his help me my fuel my drive all just increased when you hate it on class of five Here's advice for every rapper starting out Don't release a record till you're happy with the pause you wrote

My fourth album's the first record I really liked Before that my flow was too hype and I really couldn't write So I took the long way We could argue all day if it's the wrong way But sit back and let the song play Props to Joe Bombay for hooking me up at the start I never had the skill but he knew I had the heart Now understand what I said this year no mistakes

Got here no faith, made do's, won't wait Made some mistakes and I'll probably make more Just how it happens when you're trying to go forward Understand what I said this year no mistakes Got here no faith, made do's, won't wait I made some mistakes and I'll probably make more Just how it happens when you're trying to go forward So this won you your first much music video award. How many of those did you win in your career? I think five?

Are they like alongside the Juno? Yeah. And remind me please, what is the Juno for? Juno is for Inter Ninja best rap song in 2014, 2013. We'll get to Inner Ninja. We'll get to Inner Ninja. Absolutely here. No mistakes.

So I got you an award and I promised Michelle and James there'd be some cuts from Boycott on the industry. So I... Got to keep the kids happy. Got to keep the kids happy. You met and collaborated with Snoop Doggy Dog. Yeah. See, you can tell how old I am that I call him Snoop Doggy Dog.

I still call him Snoop Doggy Dog. I said it out loud. I'm like, I don't think the kids are calling him Snoop Doggy Dog. We ain't kids though. But tell me what Snoop's like. Exactly what you think he would be. I think that's why Snoop is so loved and he can go on with Martha... what's her name? Stewart.

Stewart or Dr. Dre and it's... he's still the same person. You know, he put in a bid to buy the Ottawa Senators. Saw that. Him and Ryan Reynolds, wasn't it? Yeah, you know a lot of people in that bid because part of that bid was Donovan Bailey, who will be here tomorrow. Mr. 9.84, fastest man in the world in 1996. So did... what ever happened to that deal? I remember hearing about it and then just one away another Lost the bid so another team won the bid to only a big hockey fan

The leaf right she's like I mean you smoke weed with Snoop. Yep I was like a bucket list right there for me. You know, making the song was cool, but smoking a joint with him was, you know what I mean? That's 19 year old me listening to the doggie style ago, and I'm never gonna meet, you know what I mean? Like that, that was surreal to me. And it was in a hotel in Truro, Nova Scotia, or a motel. Truro.

In Truro, Nova Scotia, he was down shooting Trailer Park Boys, and we brought a studio to the hotel, set it up, and did the song. Well let's shout out FOTM Jonathan Torrance. It's just with Jonathan last week. We just shot a music video last week and Jonathan's in the video playing the announcer. I love it man. You know he played a big role in this show because he was just starting his podcast with Jeremy Taggart from Our Lady of Peace and he was looking for a Toronto studio to produce this. This is like episode one. Okay.

And he Googled Toronto podcast studio and he found me through Google and he sent me a note. I said the word Google and my phone woke up. It's going to, you know, talk to me now, but he bossy, he sent me a note said, Hey, can I rent space and record a podcast with Jeremy Jeremy Tiger? At the time I didn't do that. I actually do that now, but at the time I'm like, I don't really do that, but would you want, would you come over for a chat?

And he said, okay. And he came over, we had a chat and I realized, oh, that's what Toronto Mike does. It's talking to people like Jonathan Torrens and classified. So it's like, he played a big role in the evolution of this particular podcast. Yeah, he's a great guy.

Anytime I ask him to come over to a video, like he, sure, but I'll come over. He comes over, brings his full suits and clothing options. And it's just cool for him to come over to a video like he sure about I'll come over he comes over brings his full of Suits and clothing options and it's just cool for him to do that He doesn't ever have to do that and he always comes through last guy I'll shout out here before I give you some gifts for making your Toronto Mike debut I want to shout out a rash medani who we see on sportsnet He's an FOTM too, and I'm 99.9 percent sure that he's from Truro. Truro. Yeah. Did I say it right? Truro?

Sound like a Toronto version of Truro. How do you say it? Truro. Matthew, say Truro for me. Truro. You said like a churro. What's that food? I think I did say that.

Oh, did you? Yeah. Truro, that's not an easy word for me. I think Matthew's hungry. So let me just do this right now. Okay. So class, I know you're only in town for 26 hours or whatever.

And I have no idea what you want to do with this. You might want to gift it to somebody or whatever, but I do have a frozen lasagna in my freezer upstairs, a delicious frozen lasagna. Like all meat. It's a beef. Yeah. There's a meat in there.

It's from Palm pasta. They're in Oakville in Mississauga. And you, you know, it's a lot of delicious food Peter Gross will tell you it's the most delicious Italian food you can find in a store. I love lasagna I don't eat a lot of food lasagna is top of the list for me. You're like I eat a lot of food There's not a lot of different types of food. I guess you're like a Garfield exactly. Yeah But now if I if I can't figure out how to put this on the carry on, I'll, I'll, I'll make sure I give it to a good home that someone's going to make

sure somebody enjoys it. That's for sure. So don't leave about it. And while I'm giving you some gifts, I'm going to run off a few more gifts here quickly. I heard a shout out to Alexander Keith's when I was listening to some classified, but here in Toronto, we brew Great Lakes beer. It's brewed right here in Southern Etobicoke actually, and it's available throughout the province. And this is some delicious Great Lakes beer. It's brewed right here in Southern Etobicoke actually, and it's available throughout the province. And this is some delicious Great Lakes beer for you.

Thank you very much. Fresh craft beer. And they're hosting TMLX 15. So class, you won't be in town, I doubt, but on June 27th from six to nine PM at Great Lakes Brewery in Southern Etobicoke, it's TMLX 15. That's my 15th listener experience

and also my 50th birthday. And it's, everyone's invited and Palma's gonna feed everybody and Great Lakes is gonna buy you your first drink. Everybody's gotta come. Matthew, you're a Toronto guy, right? Local, yeah, almost Etobicoke, just on the other side of the Humber.

Let me hear that accent for a minute. Are you gonna be at TMLX15? I opened up my mouth. Yes, absolutely. He's from Nova Scotia, too. Where are you from? Where are you from, Matthew? I'm just my mouth. Yes, absolutely. He's from Nova Scotia too. Where are you from? Where are you from, Matthew? I'm just, I'm now detecting,

that's not a Nova Scotia accent. Where are you from? Well, I grew up in the UK and England in the South, but I was born in Australia. Yeah, that's what I'm hearing. It's a, Kate Wheeler has that too. It's like a little Aussie little there. That's what I'm hearing.

I think the mixture of all of them together ends up being a little Ausszy from what I hear. 25 years at Canada. Even the word here. Yeah. Ozzy. Okay. So we got, we got Mr. Maritimes here.

You're the Ozzy guy here. So come to TMLX 15 is what I'm telling you. You don't have to jump on a plane to do that. Love to. Okay. You're going to be there. You don't like baseball, but I'm giving you a book on the history

of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. history of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. No, Toronto Maple Leafs baseball. Yeah. See, this is actually- I started reading it, I was like, no, it's hockey, man. What do you do with this? No, it's baseball. And they play at Christie Pitts here in Toronto.

And I'm just going to invite everyone listening to the Home Opener on May 12. There's a lot of interesting people that are going to be there from Rick Emmett to Rick Vive to Wendell Clark. Rick Vive? That's my air. My sport is like early nineties hockey. Well, Rick, Rick Vive is actually eighties, but Wendell Clark, he's a, he's a early nineties.

Anyway, everybody come out to the home opener. It's going to be amazing. May 12th. It's free. It's at Christie Pitts. I'll be there recording combined. Say hi. That's an order for everybody.

And you got that book now. Thank you. You've been playing with the speaker, right? Yeah. Okay. That's yours, man. Hey, that's wicked. Cause me and when we were packing up to come up here, we're like, we've got to bring a speaker,

someone listen to music in the hotel. And we brought this big speaker. Well, Meneris is giving you one. And we're like, this is perfect. Meneris is giving you that. And Meneris wants you to listen to season six of Yes, We Are Open. Al Grego hosts this.

He's an award winning podcaster and he's been traveling the country collecting inspiring stories from small business owners and he shares them on Yes We Are Open. So you got that now. I'll listen to that tonight. Absolutely and I didn't put one on the table, I'm gonna grab it right now.

Or did I, I don't even know how I prepared. But Ridley Funeral Home. Oh no, I gotcha. Oh you got one, okay. Yeah I've been playing with it. Well this is for Matthew then, Welcome to Toronto Mike. Uh, get your own measuring tape courtesy of Ridley funeral home. And real quickly here, cause I'm going to be kicking out jams.

I'll actually use this a lot. I lose our measuring tape a lot. Well, listen, you better not lose the Ridley funeral home. Come on. That's one close. And that's also a memento of your trip to Toronto in the basement here. Thank you. Advantage to investor is a podcast from Raymond James Canada. Whether you manage your own financial investments or you have some, some, somebody who does that for you, you will learn a great deal.

There's a lot of tips and best practices from, who did you say that was? It's from Raymond James Canada. The podcast is called the Advantage to Investor. And you got to subscribe to that. Monaris won't mind if you listen to that as well on their fine speaker that they sent over, so for sure. And last but not least, recyclemyelectronics.ca,

because classified, if you got a drawer of old cables or old devices and old electronics that don't work, don't throw that in the garbage because the chemicals end up in our landfills. You go to recyclemyelectronics.ca, you put in your postal code, and then you find out where you can drop it off to be properly recycled.

You've got a lot of work to do here. I didn't know about that. It's good to know, but definitely have a lot of old equipment to try to keep most of it, but the cords, I can get rid of that. Yeah, those cables people forget. That can't be thrown out. Don't need the old RCA cables how much these days

Well, you never know right? That's why we hold on to these things. You never know. You never know. See alright I'm now doing the math here. So I've got one two, three, four or five. So I got some more stuff I got a play On that intro I thought this was a totally different song. On that intro I thought it was FINDO's. I think that's it. Stump the X-Band. Stump me. Cause this is how it's going to.

They call me Mr. Negativity. Calling how how I see, yes I'm back in the vicinity, bringing what you need plus all of the amenities, know what you can say to thee, run to the mill, runnin' the drill, none of it's real celebrity. I don't let any of it get to me, I am more a mystery, mentally and physically, yeah I've seen the bright lights ever so vividly, party with the star types and mingle with the industry But jeez, we don't need another hero I relate to real people, not these self-centered weirdos Flamboid, wannabe, oh so flashy

If you ask me, that really is a class You'll never see me with my sunglasses on in a club Dancing on a table to my own song, getting buzzed And you'll never see me with a couple bottles of crisps Trying to pick up on a chick like bitch you want this that ain't classy That ain't classy Hmm 2011-12 somewhere around there. So what albums is on handshakes and middle fingers?

So again, because we only have a limited time with you class and I got it I want to get to the new stuff so you know we did spend a week and get off boycotting the industry. We can stay on the old stuff I'm not mad at going back to that. Okay so tell me what can you tell me about this particular single? This was the first single from that album. I remember I wanted a different song for this single. I wanted passion and my label and my manager were both like, no this is the one, this is the one. I was like, I don't think it is. I just like the way I rhyme better on the other one. They were right. Now that I hear the other one I'm

like, yeah, this song wasn't as good as this one. But they're not always right, right? No, they're usually wrong. Usually wrong, you know, but that's, I shouldn't say that. It's about 50-50 I find. I find sometimes I'll pick a song that I think is the one and it's not the one and then someone will come back like, no this is the one, he sure you put it out and it's like, okay That was the one so you never know never know how people are gonna react Just Kim play a role in all this like like will you you know? She'll listen to your new stuff and be like Luke. This is this is the single like this Do you get any feedback or maybe if it's not Kim?

I almost played or no I play it like for her and my daughters and stuff I don't usually play it like no I play it for her and my daughters and stuff. But I don't usually play it like, hey do you like this one? Sometimes I'll just almost play my own little games. I've like played on the home computer and then see if anybody's singing the chorus in four hours. You know like for Amnesia which is my newest single coming out on Friday. That's what I noticed about that one was my daughters just kept singing the chorus so I'm like okay that sticks in the head. So, you know, they're not the biggest hip hop head.

So I'm not going to go with them with the sure enough or like a big rap track. I'm like, hey, you're feeling this. Are they Swifties? Oh, yeah. Because I live of a Swiftie. Oh, yeah. We're still trying to get tickets for November. Good luck with that. Yeah. Kim's like, call your friends. Like, there's no favors for this one.

Everybody's looking for tickets for that. What we did is we saw that writing on the wall, so we got tickets for like a band that does Taylor Swift songs live, like it's where Swifties go, you know what I mean? Like it was like, it was 20 bucks a pop, and my daughter went with a couple of her girlfriends, and they were all dressed up,

and they had such a good time, I feel like I saved myself a thousand bucks or something. You know what I mean? Like you got her there. So there was like an impersonator or whatever. Not even an impersonator. They didn't pretend to be her. It was a tribute concert just playing a bunch of great musicians playing a bunch

of they had something like that in Halifax. It was a Candlelight Instrumental Symphony, Taylor Swift, and none of my kids wanted to go to that. No, because it's go big or go home. They're like, I don't want to sit too bad. There's no singing. Speaking of Kim, one of the new singles on the brand new Taylor Swift song, because I've been hearing a lot of these cuts in this house lately, is a Kim Kardashian diss track. Kim Kardashian, right. It's called something, thank you Amy.

Rich famous people, man. I don't know. Well, Kim was with a Kanye when the whole, I know, I know. Like the fact we even still talk about that shit is like, there's a lot of drama, right? It's a lot of corny and shit. Can we let's, that's not, let's get to this cut now. Cause I got, there's two cuts I want to get to. And then I want to get to new stuff, new classified, but this is a big one we have to discuss.

It's very important. If this will play for me. Ninja, you're a ninja. Get out of here. You're a ninja. Yes, I am a ninja. It's a mega hit. You know, Luke, this is a big fucking jam.

I heard that intro. I forgot about the intro. When we signed to America, to Atlantic, they took this song, but they didn't want to clear the, I forgot about the intro. When we signed to America, or to Atlantic, they took this song, but they didn't want to clear the cursed rock thing at the first. And I always feel like that's what set this song up, and it never blew in the States, it blew here, so I'm like, I'm singing to pull the sample out.

It sure did blow here, like this is David Miles, of course. Yes, the great David Miles. Yeah. Yeah. You can even hear the difference in my voice there, The great David Miles. You can even hear the difference in my voice there than the last song. This guy's more conversational rather than yelling. It is interesting to me that this song doesn't hit in the States. Why the hell not?

It did alright. I think we sold still like a hundred thousand, which I never did that ever in the States. But for what they had expected for a major label and what they needed to see it do, it just didn't do what it needed to do. And it was probably my fault a little bit. Like I told them when they signed me, I was like pretty successful in Canada at that time. Had young kids. I was like, I'll sign the deal,

but don't expect me to go grind it over three months in a minivan. Have no desire to do that. And they were cool with that, but they said we wanna put you on a couple radio shows. So we did a show one time with Courtney Love's band, Hole. Oh, I fucking love Hole, yeah. In a stadium for 10 minutes, we'd go on,

then Cole, or Hole, and then, and yeah, some other weird stories right now We don't get to get into but just weird these little weird shows. Those are the good random spots Well, so after the show ended we all went back to the hotel and security was everywhere We tried to get in the elevator and it was just Courtney love in the elevator and me and my brother went in security shuts the door like we guys just go and she just looked like She looked rough like I felt bad. She couldn't get her key out of her bag I'm like hey do you want me to hit your button for you and she just looked at me

like like the devil me and Mike still talking with her they just looked at me wouldn't say a word we were just like I we're just getting out of here. Love me some Courtney love stories. Yeah no it was all the stories you hear are probably true after my one encounter I was just like this girl's had a rough life. Yeah, for sure, for sure. But that Live Through This, you forget how quickly Live Through This comes out after Kurt Cobain's death.

It's literally a week later they dropped that album. What's this? Yeah, like a week later it was obviously, that's a coincidence obviously, but wild anyways. Great album. But back to Inner Ninja and David Myles. So how does this come together? You guys just collaborated and write it together played horns on Oh, Canada? So that was kind of the first thing me and Dave did together. We did another song called day doesn't die

So we just messed around which is a great song. I almost pulled it, but I can't just you don't you know I know that actually is a fantastic single. Thank you That was the first one me and Dave did where he sang and I rapped and after that we just like let's try to do that's also a personal favorite of Michelle's. Okay okay okay but yeah we were just in the studio messing around I actually made a song called So Blind for Him which was one of his radio songs he came out with and right before he left he's like oh I got this other idea and just played the dan dan dan sang the first verse or whatever I read the rules before I broke him and left just that and that and then I slowly put a beat together he

came over the next time we just built the whole thing out and I didn't think it was gonna be the first single I remember that was one with Universal they came back and like inner ninjas gotta be the single I'm like what do you it almost was more like an interlude to me like it was quirky and funny and I was like I don't think that's what I want you thought it was too silly maybe a little silly for like I want to come up with a very quirky. I like to say quirky, the quirky song. Like it sounds like nothing.

You can't hear that song compared to another song. Like, what does it sound like? It's more pop. It's very poppy. Definitely. So my first thing was like, this is my first album on Universal. I had a bunch of hip hop joints. I had Rayquan on the L. My head like some cool shit.

So I was like, talk about that. Let me put something else. So first, so they I I put anything goes first. And then they went hard with internet ninja and that blew up. So they were right again on that one. And how, I mean, in my house, it was everywhere. And I would hear on the radio all the time,

but I'm listening to Toronto radio. Like give me a sense of how big was internet ninja like across the country. Oh, I don't know. I wasn't't it just was everywhere like it was on Tim Hortons commercials it was in Grey's Anatomy it was in just random thing that was just and just pop like every time we get in the car you'd hear that song come on and I did not know though that the American

release doesn't have the Chris Rock sample yeah I think that's where they messed up yeah it's a little thing sometimes you don't think like that's just that we're not gonna worry about it it. It's like, yeah, that's the setup. Got to have the setup. Yeah. No. And why mess with a successful formula? Like, like if it's working, then, you know, they are just worried about your wallet. Yeah. I didn't clear a lot of samples. I wasn't too worried about even three foot samples. I was going to ask you. So with decisive, right? Cause decisive had, he didn't expect that. You know, he had serious sample because well, you know, you take a big chunk of a song and not,

he just took it, right? And then he got a lawsuit because it was Dozier, the guy from Motown Guy, Dozier, Lamont Dozier. Depends who it is. We were on the receiving end of that. Oh, you were? The record company I was at at the time, it was Universal Lawyers, man, geez.

But that album wasn't like, it was a great album, McLean, but it wasn't like it sold a million copies. I don't think it sold anything, it just, but it won an award, right? Oh, we were scraping together receipts, like we weren't really selling, but I mean, it was just, the song was just right there.

It was not even kind of chopped up or anything. No, no, that's it, like they didn't, yeah. It was all, yeah. It's just the loop of the whole song. Yeah, like it's basically, that's a song. But you can get away with it, like even Three Foot Tall, which was a platinum record, you know, I sampled the Muppets movie Didn't clear thing

Just put it out. You know what this reminds me of? No reason why I'm saying this now because we cleaned it up when I signed with Atlantic Yeah, they loved the song but they're like we got to clear the sample I'm like you're never gonna clear this with Disney and they went clear for five grand and we had to give them 25% of publishing right which blew my mind that we could even do that with a Disney movie, but they did it but in Canada didn't seem to matter at the level it was at. Do you remember? Yeah, that's interesting because do you remember, of course you, I think you're going to remember this because of your age, but Scooby Snacks by, was it

Fun Loving Criminals? Was that whatever? I remember Fun Loving Criminals. Okay. So Scooby Snacks was the big jam. I can't even name a second song second song from that time but but it was played a lot and I was listening to a lot of like Live to airs on CF and why and it was played all the time like it might have I think of what was on like a big shiny tunes Maybe but Scooby Snacks might have been on a big change it was that old place and it samples heavily Tarantino movies like a reservoir dogs Sample pulpit definitely a lot of reservoir dogs in there. Anyways, the joke is, I think that like today, I think Tarantino owns like, if not the whole thing,

most of that song. Yeah, it's a Tarantino song. Most of the time, if you sample something big, they're gonna take 100% of publishing. Yeah, Tarantino took 100%. Yeah, we have confirmation here. Big sense. Well, it doesn't make sense, but it happens a lot.

When we did Anybody Listen and we sampled Phil Collins, they took 100% of the publishing of that, which was cool. It was like, yeah, yeah, the song was created from what you did. You can't really argue it. They say yes or no. And so they're like, well, trash it.

And I think, am I right that every breath you take, I think, does Stinn own the P. Diddy thing for Biggie? Rightfully so. There's nothing different in that. I think a kick and a snare drum might be different. That's about it. You sound like when Vanilla Ice is arguing that his bass line is different from Under Pressure.

All right, here's a jam I gotta play and ask you about. ["Under Pressure"] Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. We need to turn it up Class, class, bob, bob, we take it up a little higher So high, so high, yeah Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh Now when I'm feeling down and out and feeling out of commission

I call you up in a minute, you come on over, I hit it I'm the one who said he's never gonna do it but did it Yeah, your love is addictive, without the hugging and kissing You got me breaking the bank, got me spending my dough I love the way that you taste and leave your scent on my clothes You take my breath away, choked up, literally My body felt the pain those couple days when we broke up You killing me, yeah my parents tried to pre-warn me But now we higher than E-40 and King Gordy You know what this song is about?

Tell me. I want to ask you. There's a lot of people don't get it, which I thought it was really obvious. This is about cannabis. There you go. Did you just look that up or something? I'm not that fast. No, a buddy of mine, I ran into a couple years ago, he came up, he's like,

man, me and my wife love that song you wrote about Kim. I was like, buddy, you listening to what this is about? But I just find it funny some people don't get it. But that was the whole point. I wanted to write it so it sounded like a love song. But if you really pay attention, you get what I'm talking about. And big collaboration for you, right? Yeah, B.O.B. Yeah. This is the only song I ever put out that I didn't make the beat for. Is that right? Yeah, Atlantic gaveO.B. Yeah. This is the only song I ever put out that I didn't make the beat for. Is that right? Yeah, Atlantic gave me this one. So when I brought them into Ninja, they brought me three different songs.

They brought me a remix to a Simple Plan song, which was a massive song. I should have did it, but it just wasn't my thing. I was like, eh, it's not really my world. And then a Cody Simpson song. Remember the dude from Australia? He's like a pop star. I don't even know the name. I don't think I know that name. He was big there for years. I think he dated Miley Cyrus or something.

And then they brought me this Bob record and I was like, that one I'll get down on. I remember writing it on the tour, but we were on tour somewhere. Recorded. Didn't even think much of it. Sent it back. They finished the record up and then now I do it every show. That's amazing on the show. Yeah. It always feels good on the shows. Big jam. Do you still smoke up? Once in a while, you know, every day. So every day.

Are you high right now? Nah, I figured I'll get the press done. I got a bag in my pocket though. I'm ready. Just I'll wait till I get the work done first. That's how I've always operated. Even when I'm at home in my studio, I get my work done that I got to get done.

Usually around two or three o'clock. I'll get into that and then get a little creative Yeah, I think I think Illy would was high all the time and at some point he actually had some like health problems that were attributed to his cannabis usage And he quit cold turkey and yet he was a struggle of it But you know cannabis not easy to quit like I always do my takeoff 10 days. What's the movie it'll come to me in a minute but Bob Saget's got that line yeah you ever suck dick for marijuana? Never do that. Half baked. Never had to. Half Dave Chappelle's in that and that was filmed here. One of first Chappelle's first ones wasn't it? Yeah absolutely but great fucking movie but that's

got but even when that came out I wasn't a stunt like I never smoked back then so here. One of the first beers that are behind that effort. And this is at the CNE grandstand. And I'm shouting in it only because one year Chuck not, it wasn't Public Enemy because Flavor Flav couldn't get in the country for a reason similar to Bob. That wasn't on the record. We talked about Bob Probert outside. Okay. We're talking about Bob Probert. I'm wearing the Wendell Clark shirt here. But all this is to say that I went to the grandstand at the CNE for a festival beer and had a great chat with Chuck D from Public Enemy. And I got to shout out Public Enemy because we're talking a lot of hip hop here in Public Enemy, my all time favorite hip hop band. Yeah, I actually tried to get Chuck D on this album. I was talking to him a few times about getting on Sure Enough. He was supposed to be on the track with Mast Ace. He couldn't

do it so I sampled his voice. So in it you'll hear the beats and the rhymes is dope. That's Chuck D. Of course it is. Love it. Okay, we're in the homestretch here We're gonna get to more current day here because we kind of ran through some greatest hits and I got a good flavor for Your career and who you're about and uh, I think i've impressed the songs off of James and Michelle But let's get a little more current here I was lost together, loved it when we were all lost together Never felt so lonely when we were all together Together, together It was a long time, long drives

We used to spend together, now it's different And I think about the old ways, old days Everything seemed better, now it's different Something's missing I need some rest, I'm feeling stressed I've been too high, I feel like a mess Feel like I strayed, losing my way Okay, what are you hearing here in the headphones?

Wait, talk to me. I was just saying, it's weird here, cause this song came out in January And the way we've been rolling this album out is We've been dropping a song every six weeks So when this one was up, I shot a video I shot another video, shot so much content around it And then when it comes out, you release it You get to the next one, it's just like Oh yeah, I shot another video, shot so much content around it, and then when it comes out, you release it, you get to the next one.

It's just like, oh yeah, I forgot about this one. This was my life for two months, January to February. Okay, because I got a couple more coming up. I think there are even more recent, so maybe I'm hitting a bunch here. Okay, so who's the woman we're hearing here? That's Ruby Waters, who's a great artist. Great sound, yeah. Yeah, she's wicked.

She's killing it too. She's been on tour with City in Color. She was singing on my song 10 years, a couple years ago. So this song is almost five years old. We started this in 2019-18. And I just ended up finishing about seven months ago and then put it on this project. Amazing. Okay. And again, can you get the new... When is the new album released? Like when is it available? Is it available now? Friday. Again, it's April 20.

Luke's view. OK, Friday. That's April 26 here. OK, exciting. So a couple of other jams are going to kick out. But tell me a little bit about this song. This song just like what it's about or whatever. It's just talking about like growing up and

all the things we go through that are big moments in our life that we don't realize until later on. You know special moments the last time you hung out with those friends in high school, the last time you went for that bike ride, you know what I mean? All those last and you kind of look back and go man I wish I knew that was a special moment because I probably would have treated a little different. Your voices sound really great together. Thank you. Probably more her than me.

That's very Canadian of you. Any moment in your career where you considered either moving to the centre of the Canadian universe, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, or even going to like New York or LA or something, was there ever a moment where you considered it? No. Never. Never? Never looked up the flight info. That's interesting, right?

It's just, I'd never been, it's never been like, I always say this, it's never been get rich or die trying. It wasn't like I'm leaving my family and my friends. Like I hang out with my boys from grade three. So like they'd pack up and leave. My brothers and my sisters all live right beside me with my boys from grade three. So like to pack up and leave, my brothers and my sisters all live right beside me, my parents, my wife's parents. Like we have a group of 25 of us that hang out weekly. So for me, like, yeah, I'm going to go chase his dream in Toronto. Never even, never crossed my mind.

Because Maestro did move to New York. He felt that he had to go to New York and he went there and lived there for a while. And that was in 89.9. A little different now now if everything's on the internet you can fly everywhere definitely pre-internet like mid 90s yeah yeah but you know you're right you're right it's a different world it's a different world and it never affected me like there was never a point where I was like oh I can't do that because I live there it was like I set up my records like I just do everything on my own,

my own schedule, my own way of like, hey, let's put out these records. I'll set up my own little tour, do this. And, you know, it slowly kept growing, but it was never, no, it was never like, I gotta get there or I can't do this or, you know, I'm missing out on this.

Can I play a couple more jams from Luke's view? Sure. more jams from Luke's view. Sure. That's a sample from Ian James, who's a local Maritimes artist. Great artist, put no music for 20, 25 years. You know, he kind of gave me the go ahead of like, man, if you ever want to sample my stuff. So I went through a bunch of his music one day and ended up sampling this. That's awesome, because you can shine a light on a fellow

Maritimer music. 100%, man, I love it. It's a song that's only been over three years and I'm just like, it's such, so cool, so cool, so good, you know, I feel like I could write my own rhymes to this but lend a little hand to him as well. I wonder if I did this right, and I wonder just how many splits I twisted in my life. I wonder if this liquor's gonna help me twist it here tonight. Have a supper til the morning, wonder why we missed the flight. I wonder, I wonder why I don't watch battle rap, ever since Pat passed. Except his benefits, shout out to Organic for that, and everybody else who did plan it for that. Y'all took my breath away like a panic attack. I wonder if the baby that we lost in my wife's belly was supposed to be my son

I wonder if it happened for a reason It happened for a reason My God, I still believe in But the question in these demons, I'm wonderin' See, there's a good example of how personal you get in your lyrics. Right. So that line really hits you. Yeah, yeah. This was the last song I wrote for the album. So this whole song was... When I'm making my records, I always just write down ideas in my phone, in my notepad.

Just like little one-liners, whatever it is, little ideas. And I had all these extra lines that I was like, man, I want this on the record. How can I do a record talking about all these specific topics? It's just like I'm sitting around wondering from one subject to the next one, but I get to get all these personal thoughts out. Yeah. Do you ever have that debate either with yourself or maybe with Kim or somebody where you wonder like, you know, there's a personal thought you want to share and you're wondering is this, is this a public consumption?

Well, even the first line you just heard, I wonder if my uncle was gay. Never turn. Originally, I put my uncle's name in it. But my dad and mom were like, don't do that. Certain family members. It was just one of the same. It's not bad to be gay. It was a weird argument, but they're just like, well, that was his comfort zone of what he wanted to put out there.

I guess it's his story to tell, I guess. Exactly. And that's kind of what it came to. So there is some things that I'll. I had this one song. This is going to probably get a little deep. This is the only song I've never put out in my life, was a song about this pedophile, you know, when I put out Powerless, which was a song about child abuse.

I got so much messages from people that were like telling me their story and what they are going through and I wrote this one song about a guy who knew he was, had these urges, whatever you want to call it he knew it was a problem he was embarrassed he couldn't ask for help because you just don't do that in our society he ended up joining the church became a priest and it helped get him through it for 50 years never acted on it then when he was 68 or something he acted on it he fucked up and everybody came out and said this is the church this wouldn't really the church was what was saving them the whole time

And I was gonna put this song out I thought it was just a super creative thing and my parents my wife everyone was like you realize you're gonna be that guy that these people that are going through this are gonna reach out to and tell you their story if I got these urges and I Didn't want to really be I Don't know if the ambassador. I don't't know it was just a touchy subject that Was like I don't know if I want to go this you know I mean like what the lot there's a lot there And even though I still stand behind what I believe of like this is a good thing to put out there Hopefully people that have this issue could go somewhere for help rather than just trying to bottle that up and not act on it

But it's a touchy subject that I don't know. Yeah, it's touchy. I don't know if I was ready for it. It's heavy, right? So you gotta, yeah, you gotta make a call on that one. That's the only time you've- The only song I've ever finished that I never put out. Every song, like, everyone's like,

oh, you know, when you die, they'll put out the vault. It's like, there's no vault. It's- It all goes out. If I made it at one point, I like it, so I'm putting it out. It's like, yeah, you gotta hold onto this and drop it, whatever, no, no. Like, I me man. So yeah, you gotta hold on to this and drop it whatever. No, no. Like it's, I record and I drop.

Before you get to E-talk, your episode's gonna be live in the Toronto Mic'd feed. Like we're dropping this thing. We're releasing this in the wild. And I have another song from Luke's view I wanna ask you about. I mean I dig in the new music and so congrats on the new stuff. And again, it's like we're recording this on April 23rd and this is all hitting the shelves on April 26th. So this is a very timely to have you in town here. But here is a song I've been digging. Hoping you play this one.

This is the succession song. You heard that? I'll tell you about the sample after this. I don't really like people, I don't like white people Any type of people, dark light people I don't like people, I don't care if you gay or straight people If you go both ways all day people Still gonna sit here and hate people, think it Maybe we're underdeveloped, trying to understand Maybe we're jealous, maybe we wanna believe what they tell us Over embellish the things that we say when we're feeling rebellious Our relish and thought, look at the world is so selfish and lost We mark it up, never sell it at cost

I think that I had it with everyone gone I don't like atheists or the church goers Pray to God that the worst is over But I know the truth is gonna hurt tomorrow And it's all our fault, ain't it? Not one person, all of us Not one race, all of us Not one faith, all of us

There's only one place for all of us People, people, people, people So why do we hate all of us? People, people, people, people Man, I don't really like people I don't like young people I don't like old people or smart people or dumb people I don't care if you vaxxed or manny vaxxed

If you cover your face or anti-masked Still gonna sit here and hate people Thinking, why do we rape people? I don't like Democrats or the Republican I ain't conservative, I ain't progressive Now I don't want none of them I had enough of them I don't like politics or climatologists

Everyday hearing about a rococalypse We resorting to leaving on rocket ships Cause we got comfortable with our incompetence, ma'am It's hard to believe in people, nowadays I don't like meeting people Vegan people, me eating people, you really think I care what you eating people? I don't care what you look like or what your job is or where you came from When it comes down to it we all play dumb and it's all our fault, ain't it? Not one person, all of us, not one faith, all of us

Not one race, all of us, why do we hate, all of us? Give your head a shake, all of us, we need to be great, all of us. Not one race, all of us. Why do we hate, all of us? Give your head a shake, all of us. We need to be great, all of us. They try to separate, all of us. Don't let them separate, all of us. People, people, people, people. Why do we hate, all of us?

I didn't even want to fade it down because I really dig this. I dig it lyrically, I dig it musically, I dig all of it. Talk to me. This was a song I could have wrote saying I love everybody the same, but said I hate everybody the same. Kind of sick of everybody the same, sick of the division, sick of people hating people because of political views, the race, the religion, whatever it is. Whether you're on Facebook or you open a paper, watch the news, I just find it so much division. And this song was kind of saying,

hey, I don't care what you are. I hate you all the same. It's kind of a weird way to say it, but if I wrote a song called I Love You All The Same and feel like some Sesame Street, I was like, how can I make a song to kind of bring people in, like the first line, I don't like people, I don't like white people.

Right. You know what I mean? Like people are gonna be like whoa where's this going like when I first showed my parents that my dad never got past the first line he's sitting in their corner the studio just holding his head and I'm like did you hear the rest of the song he's like well yeah you can't just say this stuff and and then when he actually I played it back and he heard the whole thing is that you can actually I feel like you can say you hate white people

you can say it's your white person yeah but I don't really want to hate anybody that's what I'm saying though again the division of like well you can say it because you have license yes but yeah it was a song that's just hated seeing the division I wanted to write something that well it's not one race all of us by the time you get to the end of it you see the positive side of it so lyrically I like it very one person, not one race, all of us. By the time you get to the end of it, you see the positive side of it. So lyrically, I like it very much. Very smart, very, very, very interesting.

Like I find it interesting. And then I'm curious because right off the top, I'm here in succession. So give me that story. So it's back to the sample stuff. So my brother sent me some, my brother sends me a lot of samples. He watches a lot of shows. It's actually from Family Guy. So Family Guy did a spoof of succession.

Oh! In an episode. Okay. Mike sent it to me and I'm like spoof, a succession in an episode. Mike sent it to me and I'm like, okay, let me chop this up. You know what I mean? Cut it up, replayed some stuff. And then next time I went back to YouTube, it was gone. Like Family Guy took it down.

So I can't even find the sample now, but I was able to grab it, cut it up, chop it up, replay some stuff. Wow. But do you have to clear that? Like it's too close for comfort, replay some stuff. Wow. Yeah. Do you have to you have to clear that like it's a it's too close for comfort, right? Sure.

There's a label guy in the room. Oh, no, half life. We got it. Because I mean, succession just wrapped up last year, but was one of those like a show. Do we have water coolers anymore? Like I want to say it was a water cooler show

in succession. And I loved that theme and I love the way you use elements of it to kick off people. People's very strong. So Luke's view. Yeah, that was the first song we draw for the album. That's why I wanted something to come out to, there's so much music in the world and I wanted something lyrically that would kind of make people, whether you love it or hate it, you're going to notice it, you're going to pay attention. But also your rhymes are, you're strong, strong flow in that one. Like it's sort of Eminem-esque almost on that particular... Just like speed of it? Like the did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did-did- But classified, I gotta say, we almost did this months ago. Yes.

And then you didn't have time because you live in Enfield. Yep. So I'm taking notes over here and paying attention over here. But we got it done today and I gotta say, loved this very much. And I gotta thank you for dropping by and thank everyone in the room who helped get you here. My pleasure, man. Thank you for having me. Some great throwback talks too.

We got to hear some songs I haven't heard in a while. And we got to talk about Stu Stone. There you go. There you go. You never know what's going to happen here, but it all ends up inevitably coming back to Stu. So, shout out to Stu Stone. Thank you Classified. My pleasure, man. And that brings us to the end of our one thousand four hundred and seventy fifth show you can follow me I'm on Twitter and blue sky

I'm at Toronto Mike classified where would you send people if they want to learn more pick up the album all that jazz Instagram Facebook classified hip-hop or my websites classified official comm if you still go to websites I go to I maintain my website. Like I still think there's some of us out there. Every month I'm like, do we need this? I know a lot of people got rid of their websites because they're like social media, but you know what? You own that real estate of your website. That's your baby. And you can put so much information on it. You don't want to like give too much power to these algorithms you don't control.

We'll keep paying that $7.99 a month. We'll keep the domain name and we'll keep it going. Yeah, it's probably closer to $7.99 a year, probably. Keep paying that. If you won't pay it, I'll pay it, okay? Just hit me up if it gets that bad. Much love to all who make this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery. You've got your beer.

Got my beers. Palma Pasta. Don't leave without your frozen lasagna. RecycleMyElectronics.ca. Raymond of pasta. Don't leave without your frozen lasagna. Recyclemyelectronics.ca. Raymond James Canada. The Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team. You've got your book there. Didn't even know there was a Toronto Maple Leafs team. They were here before the hockey team. They had the name before the hockey team. It's a fascinating history. And it's still here. Still here. They're playing May 12th at 2 p.m. at Christie Pitts here in Toronto. Still here.

Menaris. Thank you, Menaris. And Ridley Funeral Home. Luke's enjoying his measuring tape there. See you all. Hold on here. I got to find out who's next. So it's been quite a run here. We had Ben Johnson, then we have Classified.

I see Donovan Bailey's next. Well, it's his show, though. It's always got a show called. You say Donovan Bailey's next to him. Well, it's his show though. He's got a show called Running Things with Donovan Bailey. It's very good with Jason Portwondo. But the next Toronto Miked episode is Thursday. Okay, it's another episode of Toast with Rob Pruss, who was the keyboardist with Spoons and Bob Willett. And we do that every month and it's fantastic.

We're kicking out bird jams. We're all bringing our favorite bird jams and our fun facts and our mind blows. So join us. We'll be at live.torontomike.com at 2 p.m. on Thursday. See you all then! They're picking up trash and they're putting down rogues And they're brokering stocks, the class struggle explodes And I'll play this guitar just the best that I can Maybe I'm not and maybe I am